ACE, which stands for Afterschool Centers on Education, is a hands-on program that helps students and their immediate families by providing a safe, structured, and supervised environment where students receive additional learning opportunities to help them do better both in the classroom and outside of school. ACE is funded by the 21st CCLC program and administered by the U.S. Department of Education.

ACE is provided at no cost to any child enrolled at BISD. This program is for every child whose parents want him or her to excel. Children who participate in out-of-school learning activities have consistently been shown to do better both in school and later on in life.

How Can ACE Help My Child?

All ACE programs are geared towards promoting better:

academics

attendance

behavior

grade advancement rates

graduation rates

We aim to prepare students for life after school in both college and the workplace. Students benefit from ACE programming by:

learning life skills such as conflict resolution and healthy eating habits

receiving additional tutoring in subjects such as reading, math and science

activing different learning styles through hands-on experiences such as cooking lessons, where they learn math, science and reading skills or building robots which involves subjects like physics, programming and geometry

A typical afternoon in the ACE program includes a tutorial or homework session and a healthy snack, followed by division into groups who then participate in specialized learning such as art, technology, science, financial planning, creative writing, cooking, physical activities and many other fun projects. Middle school and high school students are encouraged to make good choices in a less formalized environment. High school students enrolled in dual credit at the college are provided transportation to and from the college campus as well.

ACE is for Families, Too!

A large part of ACE is family involvement. Research shows that children whose parents are actively involved in their learning experiences do better both in school and out of school. A statewide survey conducted in 2007 showed children who participated in ACE math activities had higher TAKS math scores.

If you have any additional questions please feel free to contact our Family Engagement Specialist, Jennifer Dorsett at the ACE Main Offices (361) 362-6010.